Rooftop equipment fire closes King Middle School in Portland

PORTLAND — King Middle School at 92 Deering Ave. was closed Friday morning after two rooftop ventilation system motors caught fire, sending smoke into a storage room.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Thompson said firefighters responded to a call at 9:14 a.m. and found staff and students already outside the building.

Thompson said a fire in one rooftop motor was put out with a fire extinguisher. A storage room near the gym was ventilated, and firefighters also checked air quality in the rest of the school before staff decided to close the school for the day.

No injuries were reported. Thompson said the overheated motors may have been caused by an electrical short in nearby Central Maine Power Co. equipment.

The School Department in a press release said the city’s heating and cooling system technicians are checking the rest of the school’s heating and ventilation system to ensure it is functioning safely.